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the X5 is really not made to go off-road, particularly weighing more than 5,000 lbs with all-season runflat tires. Can it be done, sure, I've taken street cars off-road, including a 1965 Corvair in my youthful days.

But even the X5 owners manual says "Do not drive on unpaved terrain, as otherwise the vehicle may be damaged."

the X5 is really not made to go off-road, particularly weighing more than 5,000 lbs with all-season runflat tires. Can it be done, sure, I've taken street cars off-road, including a 1965 Corvair in my youthful days.

But even the X5 owners manual says "Do not drive on unpaved terrain, as otherwise the vehicle may be damaged."

you would think that they were only referring to cosmetics ex. bumpers, fenders, lights etc. but not actually unable to handle it.

the X5 is really not made to go off-road, particularly weighing more than 5,000 lbs with all-season runflat tires. Can it be done, sure, I've taken street cars off-road, including a 1965 Corvair in my youthful days.

But even the X5 owners manual says "Do not drive on unpaved terrain, as otherwise the vehicle may be damaged."

BMW's own marketing video shows the car being driven right through a pond. And then there is the other marketing video of a group of X5s going on a safari in the African plains. What gives?!

You know xdrive's problem is the open differentials (that and no low-range). I know they have traction control & other nannies to sort of approximate a LSD but it's simply not as good as the genuine article!

I wrote Quaife to see if they produce/will produce a LSD for the E70, but I haven't heard back yet.

__________________

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

"Though the X5 xDrive 35d delivers the best diesel fuel economy and an exhilarating drive, it also shows glaring incongruities. Those sticky Michelins that felt so grippy on the street prove useless off-road, as does BMW's clearly street-tuned all-wheel-drive system. We managed to get our X5 stuck three times, which is three more times than either the Lexus or VW became mired. We expect more utility from a luxury SUV-especially one that costs $65,000. "Bags of fun to drive in the dry, and I really dig the motor, but the cockpit leaves me cold, the lack of off-road prowess gives me pause, and the pricetag induces heart palpitations," says St. Antoine."

The question is " can you ever be happy"? Just be damn glad it has the technology to keep you on the road when you feel sporty or your love ones are in a bad spot. Stop crying , just go buy a Hummer or Tuareg and you will have something to really cry about.

Its not the X5 that is complete incompetent off road, its the tires. Put a decent off-road biased tire, and it'd do ok (to the limits of its ground clearance and lack of low range). Look at Range Rovers - they're great off road with the right tire, but the low profile sport tires on many would make them as useless in sand as that X5.

Its not the X5 that is complete incompetent off road, its the tires. Put a decent off-road biased tire, and it'd do ok (to the limits of its ground clearance and lack of low range). Look at Range Rovers - they're great off road with the right tire, but the low profile sport tires on many would make them as useless in sand as that X5.

+1

Definitely tires....and in the case of the marketing video and the recent photo, a competent driver, ie. someone that knows how to keep the vehicle moving in the sand.

Getting buried in the sand has happened to a lot of off-roader's over the years, it's a humbling experience no matter what you drive. It's just that, in this case, it's a very high profile vehicle in a most inopportune situation.

+100 on the tires. I watched a Top Gear test of the X6 where Jeremy bashed it for having no off road prowess whatsoever. The following month I picked up an issue of the Top Gear Magazine ( yeah I know, I'm a huge Top Gear fan) and a team of top gear journalists took the X6 into Europe's largest wilderness close to Poland. Before they set out, they installed off-road tires, some bright rally style lights on the roof and a rack with some extra provisions. They came away impressed with its off road abilities and never got stuck even once.

You have to be somewhat of a buffoon to try and off road with High performance run flat tires. What were the owners expecting?